Wall mounted washing machine and door gasket thereof

ABSTRACT

A wall mounted washing machine and a door gasket thereof are provided to reduce manufacturing costs and solve the problem of the cost increase incurred in the assembling process. The wall mounted washing machine includes: a rear panel mounted on a wall; a tub supported on the rear panel, the tub being filled with wash water; a front panel having an opening formed therein and installed in the tub; a drum rotatably installed in the tub; a cover installed on the front panel to cover the front panel; a door rotatably coupled to the cover to open or close a laundry inlet of the cover; and a door gasket disposed between the cover and the front panel, maintains a watertight seal by making contact with the door, and forms a gap between the surface of the cover and a gasket extension or gasket fixing portion with respect to the laundry inlet.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

The present disclosure claims benefit to Korean Patent Application No.10-2017-0074644, filed on, Jun. 14, 2017, by inventor, Jong Jin Lee,which application is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a wall mounted washing machine and adoor gasket thereof.

BACKGROUND

A washing machine is a device for separating contaminants from washedfabric (laundry) using wash water and detergent, wherein thecontaminants may be separated from the washed fabric by the chemicalaction of the detergent dissolved in the wash water and the mechanicalaction of the wash water and an inner basket. Such washing machines maybe categorized into a top loading type washing machine, a front loadingtype washing machine, and a combined type washing machine combined withthe top loading type and the front loading type, depending on the methodof loading the laundry.

In recent years, wall mounted washing machines have been introduced,which may be installed in narrow spaces such as bathrooms and toilets.In general, the wall mounted washing machines employ the front loadingtype for better miniaturization.

For example, the wall mounted washing machine may include a cabinet thatforms an exterior, a tub provided in the cabinet filled with wash water,a drum rotatably installed in the tub and accommodating the laundry, adrive unit providing power to the drum, a water supply unit forsupplying the wash water to the tub, and a drain unit for dischargingthe wash water from the tub to the outside of the cabinet.

In the prior art, the wall-mounted washing machine typically has agasket just for maintaining a watertight seal. The prior art gasket isgenerally mounted along the edge of an opening on the front panel of thewashing machine. In this case, the outer surface of a gasket mountingportion makes contact with the plastic surface of the cover andtherefore receives vibrations created by the washing machine duringoperation.

However, in the prior art washing machine, contact occurs between thegasket mounting portion (e.g., rubber material) and a different materialsuch as plastic.

Particularly, the gasket, which is not as mechanically strong as theplastic material, can have a chemical related crack at a chemicalcontact region between the different materials when receiving vibrationswhile there is contact between the different materials.

In this regard, the prior art washing machine has no solution for thistype of gasket damage caused by chemical cracks, which results in adeterioration of watertightness of the appliance due to gasket damage.

SUMMARY

In order to solve the above disadvantages, embodiments of the presentdisclosure provide a wall mounted washing machine and a door gasketthereof, which can extend the lifetime of the door gasket, reducemanufacturing costs, and solve the problem cost increases incurred inthe appliance assembly process by providing a door gasket for preventingcracks thereof due to vibration loads in the wall mounted washingmachine in order to maintain a watertight seal.

According to a wall mounted washing machine and a door gasket thereofaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure, chemical cracks onthe door gasket can be minimized.

Furthermore, watertight efficiency can be maximized while minimizingdamage to the door gasket.

More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed toa wall mounted washing machine, comprising: a rear panel operable to bewall-mounted; a tub supported on the rear panel, wherein the tub isoperable to contain wash water; a front panel having an opening formedtherein and disposed in the tub; a drum rotatably installed in the tub;a cover disposed on the front panel to cover the front panel; a doorrotatably coupled to the cover to selectively open and close a laundryinlet of the cover; and a door gasket disposed between the cover and thefront panel, wherein the door gasket is operable to maintain awatertight seal by making contact with the door, and forming a gapbetween a surface of the cover and a gasket extension with respect tothe laundry inlet. Embodiments include the above and wherein the frontpanel comprises: a shield unit comprising a plurality of fasteningprotrusions for bolting wherein the plurality of fastening protrusionsare spaced apart along a circumference and attached to an edge of thetub; and an opening integrally formed with an inner edge of the shieldunit.

Embodiments include the above and wherein the opening of the front panelcomprises: an annular wall extending toward the cover from the inneredge of the shield unit; an annular end formed at an edge of the annularwall, wherein the annual end is smaller in diameter than the annularwall; and juts extending in a circumferential direction from an outerperipheral surface of the annular end and protruding toward a diameterdirection of the annular end, wherein said juts are operable to preventthe door gasket from releasing. Embodiments include the above andfurther comprising a center line and wherein an inner peripheral surfaceof the annular end of the opening extends parallel to the center lineand is attached to the door gasket and wherein the opening of the frontpanel further comprises a stepped portion positioned between the annularend and the annular wall and integrally formed with the opening tosupport the door gasket. Embodiments include the above and wherein theannular wall extends and slopes downward relative to the innerperipheral surface of the annular end, within an area defined from thestepped portion to the shield unit.

Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to a wall mountedwashing machine, comprising: a rear panel operable to be mounted on awall; a tub supported on the rear panel, the tub operable to containwash water; a front panel having an opening formed therein and disposedin the tub; a drum rotatably installed in the tub; a cover operable tocover the front panel and comprising an inlet; a door rotatably coupledto the cover to selectively open and close the inlet; a door gasketdisposed between the cover and the front panel and operable to maintaina watertight seal in making contact with the door; and a ring clampsurrounding an outer portion of the door gasket and securing the doorgasket to the opening of the front panel. Embodiments include the aboveand wherein the front panel comprises a shield unit comprising aplurality of fastening protrusions for bolting and wherein further theopening of the front panel comprises: an annular wall extending towardthe cover from an inner edge of the shield unit; an annular end formedat the edge of the annular wall, wherein the annular end is smaller indiameter than the annular wall; and a stepped portion connecting theannular end and the annular wall together to support the door gasket.

Embodiments include the above and wherein the door gasket is aring-shaped elastic structure, extending in a circumferential direction,and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the opening and whereinthe door gasket comprises one of: an elastic material; a rubbermaterial; and a silicon material. Embodiments include the above andwherein the door gasket comprises: a gasket body disposed inside theopening; a gasket fixing portion integrally formed with the gasket bodyand located on an outside of the opening and surrounding the edge of theopening of the front panel; a receiving portion formed on an outerperipheral surface of the gasket fixing portion and for receiving thering clamp; a front protrusion protruding from and edge of the gasketfixing portion toward the edge of the inlet of the cover and extendingalong a circumference of the door gasket; and an elastic protrusionprotruding at an angle toward the door between the front protrusion andthe gasket body and extending along a circumference of the door gasket.

Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to, in a wallmounted washing machine having: a tub formed on a rear panel operablefor wall mounting; a drum rotatably installed in the tub; a front panelinstalled in the tub and having an opening formed therein; a coverinstalled on the front panel to cover the front panel; and a doorinstalled on the cover, selectively opening and closing a laundry inletof the cover, and having a door glass bulging out toward the drum, acomponent comprising: a door gasket, wherein the door gasket is disposedinside the wall mounted washing machine and is operable to maintain awatertight seal by making contact with the door. Embodiments include theabove and wherein the door gasket comprises: a gasket body disposedinside the opening; a gasket fixing portion integrally formed with thegasket body and located on an outside of the opening and surrounding anedge of the opening of the front panel; a receiving portion formed on anouter peripheral surface of the gasket fixing portion and for receivinga ring clamp; a front protrusion protruding from an edge of the gasketfixing portion toward an edge of the laundry inlet of the cover andextending along a circumference of the door gasket; and an elasticprotrusion protruding at an angle toward the door between the frontprotrusion and the gasket body and extending along the circumference ofthe door gasket; and wherein the gasket body is sloped for fluiddrainage, having a shape corresponding to a shape of an annular wall ofthe opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent disclosure will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wall mountedwashing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the door of FIG. 1 is opened.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the front panel to which thecover of FIG. 4 is attached;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VIIof FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the circle M of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a door gasket according to anapplication example of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a door gasket according to anotherapplication example of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings.

In addition, in the description of the present disclosure, the detaileddescription of known functions and configurations incorporated hereinwill be omitted if they would unnecessarily obscure the features of thesubject matter of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wall mountedwashing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the door of FIG. 1 is opened,FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1, andFIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a wall-mounted washing machine 10 accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cabinet 100having a front surface and a rear surface opened and forming an outerappearance, a door 200 disposed on one side of the cabinet 100 and foropening or closing the opened front surface of the cabinet 100, a cover300 connected to the door 200 for opening and closing the door 200, afront panel 400 disposed on the rear surface of the cover 300, adetergent container 500 housed in one side of the front panel 400 andaccommodating detergent and conditioner, a drum 600 in which laundry isstored, a tub 700 which surrounds the drum 600 and is filled with washwater, and a rear panel 800 mounted on the wall. Here, the rear surfacemeans a surface close to the wall, and the front surface means a surfaceopposite to the rear surface.

Specifically, the cabinet 100 may be provided in an empty form. Also,the cabinet 100 may include a power button 102 for controlling a powersupply, a cover connection unit 104 connected to the cover 300, and arear panel connection unit 106 connected to the rear panel 800.

The power button 102 may be provided on one side of the cabinet 100 tocontrol whether the washing machine 10 is turned on or off. The powerbutton 102 may be provided on one side of the front surface of thecabinet 100 to be easily controlled by the user. Here, in thisembodiment, the power button 102 is provided on the lower surface of thefront surface of the cabinet 100. However, the position of the powerbutton 102 is not limited thereto, and may be provided on the left orright of the front surface of the cabinet 100, for example, or in otherwell known positions.

The cabinet 100 may include a cover connection unit 104 connected to thecover 300. The cover connection unit 104 may correspond to an edge ofthe opened front surface of the cabinet 100 and may have a smallerdiameter than the diameter of the cover 300 so that the cover 300 is notdetached from the cabinet 100. Specifically, the cover 300 may beinserted into the cabinet 100 from the rear surface to the front surfaceside. In this case, since the diameter of the cover connection unit 104is smaller than the diameter of the cover 300, the cover 300 may befitted into the cover connection unit 104, so that the cover 300 may notbe separated from the cabinet 100.

The cabinet 100 may include a rear panel connecting unit 106 connectedto the rear panel 800. The rear panel connecting unit 106 may correspondto the opened rear edge of the cabinet 100 and may have a shape thatcorresponds to the shape of the rear panel 800. The cabinet 100 may bebolted to the rear panel 800 and for this purpose, a plurality of boltfastening holes may be formed in the rear panel connecting portion 106

Meanwhile, the door 200 may be provided on the front surface of thecabinet 100. The door 200 is provided for loading and unloading laundry,and may include a door inner frame 230 and a door outer frame 240.Specifically, the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 maybe bolted in such way to offer a predetermined space therebetween, andeach may be provided in a circular shape having a diameter correspondingto the cover connection unit 104. In this case, the door inner frame 230may be in contact with the cover connection unit 104, and the door innerframe 230 and the door outer frame 240 may completely shield the cover300 connected to the cabinet 100.

The door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 may include a doorhinge connection unit 232 for connection with the cover 300. The doorhinge connecting unit 232 is provided at one side of the door innerframe 230 and the door outer frame 240 and may provide a space foraccommodating a door hinge 360 of the cover 300 to be described later.

A display 202 may be provided in a space between the door inner frame230 and the door outer frame 240. The display 202 is capable ofoutputting predetermined information to the user, and is provided with afront surface exposed to the outside of the door outer frame 240. Thatis, the door outer frame 240 may include a hole (not shown) or may beformed of a transparent material so that the display 202 may be viewed.In this case, the display 202 may include a touch panel capable ofinputting or outputting information, and the user may view the panel toconfirm information such as the operating state through the display 202,and also use the panel to perform operations of the wall-mounted washingmachine 10 via touch interactions. For example, the user may select aprocess such as washing and rinsing of the laundry by performing a touchinteraction with respect to the display 202, and confirm the remainingwashing time or the like through the display 202.

The display 202 exposed to the exterior of the door outer frame 240 andthe door outer frame 240 may be protected through a protective glass204. The protective glass 204 is transparently provided on the frontsurface of the door outer frame 240 so that the user may identify thedisplay 202. In this case, the protective glass 204 may be provided withthe same diameter as the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame240.

A hole (not shown) may be provided on one side of the protective glass204, and the door opening button 210 may be exposed to the outsidethrough the hole (not shown). The door opening button 210 may beprovided in the door outer frame 240 for opening or closing the interiorof the cabinet 100 using an electronic opening and closing system andmay be exposed to the outside through a hole of the protective glass204.

In addition, the door 200 may include a door opening unit 250 and a doorhanging unit 260. The door opening unit 250 and the door hanging unit260 may protrude rearward of the door inner frame 230 and may be incontact with and engaged with one side of the cover 300. Specifically,the door opening unit 250 serves as an opening/closing assistant and mayhave an elastic force. For example, the door opening unit 250 mayinclude a spring and may act as a support for opening the door 200through the elastic force of the spring. For example, when the door 200is closed, the door opening unit 250 may be compressed and inserted intoa groove (not shown) provided on one side of the cover 300. When theuser operates the door opening button 210 to open the door 200, the dooropening unit 250 may be released from one side of the cover 300, and maybe in contact with the bottom surface of the groove (not shown) providedon one side of the cover 300 in a relaxed state. That is, a space isprovided between the door 200 and the cover 300 by the relaxed length ofthe door opening unit 250, thereby preventing the door 200 from beingautomatically closed.

The door opening unit 250 may be a pusher stem assembly that may besupported by the spring and located within a guide structure formed inthe door inner frame 230 or repeatedly perform projecting by a linearmovement through a predetermined stroke range.

The door hanging unit 260 may be provided at a predetermined distancefrom the door opening unit 250 and may be provided in the shape of ahook partially protruding from the door inner frame 230. The protrudingportion of the door hanging unit 260 may be coupled to a door lock unit330 of the cover 300 to be described later, and thus the door 200 may beclosed.

In summary, the door 200 according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure may be opened through a door opening button 210. When theuser operates the door opening button 210, the door opening unit 250 andthe door hanging unit 260 may be released from the cover 300 so that thedoor 200 may open the cover 300. In this case, the door opening unit 250having an elastic force may be relaxed and provided on one side of thecover 300, and thus a predetermined gap is provided between the door 200and the cover 300. Therefore the door 200 may be prevented from closing.

In addition, the user may close the door 200 by applying pressure to thedoor 200 toward the cover 300 side. To this end, the user may press oneside of the outermost protective glass 204 of the door 200 so that thedoor opening unit 250 may be compressed and become received in thegroove (not shown) of the cover 300 and the protruding portion of thedoor hanging unit 260 may be coupled to the door hanging unit 330 of thecover 300. That is, the door 200 may be opened and closed without aseparate handle.

A center side of the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240may be opened and the door glass 280 may be provided at the openedcenter side. The door glass 280 allows the user to view the laundryinside the machine from the outside of the washing machine 10 and may befitted to the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240. In thiscase, the door glass 280 may be formed to protrude rearward, and theprotruded side of the door glass 280 may be fitted to the opened side ofthe cover 300.

Meanwhile, the door 200 may be rotatably connected to the cover 300. Thecover 300 is provided to enclose the front panel 400 and may include alaundry inlet 302 for loading the laundry, a detergent container loadingport 304 for loading a detergent container 500, and a power processingunit 306 for controlling the button 102.

The user may load laundry through the laundry inlet 302. The laundryinlet 302 may be provided to have a predetermined diameter. In thiscase, the diameter of the laundry inlet 302 may correspond to the sizeof the protruding portion of the door glass 280. Thus, when the door 200is closed, the door glass 280 may block the laundry inlet 302, and whenthe user opens the door 200, the door glass 280 is released from thelaundry inlet 302 to allow laundry loading through the laundry inlet302.

A detergent container loading port 304, which may load the detergentcontainer 500, may be provided on the upper side of the laundry inlet302. In this case, the detergent container loading port 304 maycorrespond to the shape of the detergent container 500.

The cover 300 may have a laundry inlet 302 at its center and may have acircular shape as a whole. Further, the cover 300 may be shaped suchthat one side protrudes downward. In this case, the power processingunit 306 may be provided in a protruding portion downward. The powerprocessing unit 306 may be a PCB substrate connected to the power button102 to control whether the power is turned on or off according to theoperation of the power button 102 protruding from the outside of thecase 100.

Meanwhile, the cover 300 may include a door hanging unit 330 located ata position corresponding to the other door hanging unit 260. The doorhanging unit 330 is coupled to the hook-shaped door hanging unit 260 andmay include a groove corresponding to the shape of the door hanging unit260. Thus, as the door hanging unit 260 is coupled to the other doorhanging unit 330, so that the door 200 may close the laundry inlet 302.

Also, the cover 300 may include a door hinge 360 at a locationcorresponding to the door hinge connection unit 232. The door hinge 360may be opened while one side of the door 200 and one side of the cover300 may be connected to each other, and the one side of the door hinge360 may be received in the door hinge connection unit 232. Specifically,the door hinge 360 may be formed in a shape of a long curved panel in avertical direction on one side of the laundry inlet 302, and may bepartially protruded forward such that the door 200 may be rotated andconnected to the door hinge connection unit 232. That is, the door 200may be rotatable along the protruding portion in front of the door hinge360.

Meanwhile, a front panel 400 may be provided on the rear surface of thecover 300. The front panel 400 may be coupled to the tub 700 and mayinclude a shield unit 410 shielding a space between the drum 600 and thetub 700, a detergent container receiving unit 420 receiving thedetergent container 500, a detergent container gasket 430 which providesa seal at a portion coupled with the detergent container 500, a fitting440 for supplying water into the detergent container 500, a door gasket450 which provides a seal at a portion in contact with the door 200, anda water supply valve assembly 480 for receiving wash water from anexternal water supplying source.

The shield unit 410 may shield a space generated between the drum 600and the tub 700 and may have a shape corresponding to the shape of thecover 300. That is, it may have the same diameter as the cover 300 andhave an opening corresponding to the laundry inlet 302 provided on thecenter side thereof. In this regard, the opening of the shield unit 410may be smaller than the diameter of the drum 600, so that the spacebetween the drum 600 and the tub 700 may be shielded.

The detergent container receiving unit 420 may be provided at one sideof the shield unit 410 to receive the detergent container 500. Thedetergent container receiving unit 420 may have a shape corresponding tothe shape of the detergent container 500 and may be in communicationwith the detergent container loading port 304 of the cover 300. That is,the detergent container 500 may be received in the detergent containerreceiving unit 420 via the detergent container loading port 304 of thecover 300.

The detergent container receiving unit 420 may include a detergentcontainer gasket 430 that is pressurized by the detergent container 500.The detergent container gasket 430 may be disposed around the end of thedetergent container receiving unit 420 to seal the detergent container500 and may be composed of a rubber material. That is, the detergent,the conditioner, and the wash water supplied to the detergent container500 are prevented from leaking to the outside through the detergentcontainer gasket 430.

At least one fitting 440 may be provided on the top of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. The fitting 440, which is connected to awater supply valve assembly 480 connected to an external water supplysource, may supply the wash water into the detergent container 500.Thus, the wash water supplied to the drum 600 and the tub 700 mayinclude the dissolved detergent or conditioner because the wash water issupplied into the drum 600 and the tub 700 through the detergentcontainer 500.

Meanwhile, the opening of the shield unit 410 may include a door gasket450 which is pressed by a door glass 280 of the door 200. The doorgasket 450 may be disposed at the opening end of the shield unit 410(for example, at the annular end of the opening) to hermetically fix thedoor glass 280, and it may be composed of a rubber material or the like.Thus, when the door 200 is closed, the door glass 280 penetrating thelaundry inlet 302 of the cover 300 presses the door gasket 450, andtherefore the wash water inside the drum 600 and the tub 700 will notleak outside the door 200.

The fitting 440 may be supplied with wash water through a water supplyvalve assembly 480. The water supply valve assembly 480 may be connectedto an external water supply source and may selectively supply the washwater to the detergent container 550 through the fitting 440. The watersupply valve assembly 480 may be a three-way valve and two of the supplyflow paths extending from the water supply valve assembly 480 may beconnected to the fitting 440 connected to the detergent container 500and one of them may supply the wash water to the drum 600 directlythrough the door gasket 450.

The detergent container 500 may accommodate detergent and conditionerand may include a detergent container handle 502, a detergent inputspace 504 in which detergent is loaded, and a conditioner input space506 in which a conditioner is loaded.

The detergent container handle 502 may protrude forward and may beexposed to the outside of the cover 300. The user thus may grasp thedetergent container handle 502 after opening the door 200, allowing thedetergent container 500 to be unloaded or inserted from the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. In this embodiment, although the detergentcontainer handle 502 is extended in the vertical direction and providedat the center of the front surface of the detergent container 500, thedetergent container handle 502 is not limited thereto. For example, thedetergent container receiving unit 420 may be extended in the horizontaldirection and provided on the front surface of the detergent container500.

The detergent container 500 may be partitioned based on the center ofthe interior and include a detergent input space 504 and a conditionerinput space 506 which may contain detergent and conditioner,respectively. In this connection, the fitting 440 may be arranged tocorrespond with the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner inputspace 506, and the detergent and conditioner in the detergent inputspace 504 and the conditioner input space 506 may be supplied with thewash water. Specifically, the user may draw the detergent container 500from the detergent container receiving unit 420 after opening the door200 and may fill detergent and conditioner into the detergent inputspace 504 and the conditioner input space 506, respectively. Thedetergent container 500 filled with the detergent and the conditionermay be inserted again into the detergent container receiving unit 420,and depending on the washing process, the detergent input space 504 andthe conditioner input space 506 may be supplied with the wash water.Accordingly, the wash water including detergent or conditioner may beselectively supplied to the drum 600 and the tub 700.

Meanwhile, the front panel 400 may be connected to the drum 600. Thedrum 600 for receiving the laundry may include a drum inlet portion 610on the front surface and a spider 680 on the rear surface. In this case,a plurality of holes may be formed around the drum 600 for fluidcommunication with the tub 700.

A drum inlet portion 610 may correspond to the opened portion of theshield unit 410. In this regard, the drum inlet portion 610 may have adiameter smaller than the entire diameter of the drum 600, and the druminlet portion 610 may be fitted into the opened portion of the shieldunit 410, so that front panel 400 and the drum 600 may be connected toeach other. Thus, the laundry may be loaded into the drum 600 via thelaundry inlet 302 of the cover 300 and the opened portion of the frontpanel 400.

The drum 600 may be rotated through a spider 680. The spider 680 mayrotate in response to a driving force from a driving motor 910 (to bedescribed later). The spider 680 may be separate from the drum 600 andalso coupled to the rear surface of the drum 600. In this case, a groovecorresponding to the shape of the spider 680 may be formed on the rearsurface of the drum 600 so that the spider 680 may be seated.

The spider 680 may include a plurality of arms extending in differentdirections with a constant gap at the center. For example, the spider680 may include an arm extending in three directions by a lengthcorresponding to the radius of the drum 600, and each arm may bedisposed at a 120-degree gap. Further, the center of the spider 680 maybe fixed to a second pulley 914 (to be described later) through a drumrotation axis 916 to be described later, and thus both the drum 600coupled to the spider 680 and the spider 680 may be rotated. A specificmethod of rotating the drum 600 will be described later.

A tub 700 in which the wash water is filled may be provided outside thedrum 600. The tub 700 may have a shape corresponding to the drum 600 andmay be formed with a diameter larger than a diameter of the drum 600 bya predetermined length. Accordingly, the tub 700 may be arranged apartfrom the drum 600 by a predetermined gap. In addition, the wash watersupplied into the tub 700 may flow into the drum 600 through a pluralityof holes formed around the drum 600. Similarly, the inner wash water ofthe drum 600 may flow into the tub 700 through the plurality of holesformed around the drum 600. In this regard, the drum 600 and the tub 700may be provided in a cylindrical shape, but of course are not limitedthereto.

Further, the tub 700 may include a heater 702 to heat the wash water.Specifically, a groove may be formed on the inner side of the tub 700 toreceive the heater 702, and a heater 702 may be provided on the innerside of the tub 700 in a detachable manner. Thus, the heater 702 mayheat the wash water filled in the tub 700.

Meanwhile, the tub 700 may be integrally provided with a rear panel 800.The rear panel 800 may be mounted on the wall and may include an anchorconnection unit 802 to which an anchor (for mounting to the wall) isconnected, a cabinet fixing unit 804 for fixing the cabinet 100, and asensor 806 for detecting the water level.

Specifically, the tub 700 and the rear panel 800 may be integrallyinjection molded, and the tub 700 may protrude from the front of therear panel 800. The rear surface of the rear panel 800 may be mounted onthe wall via a separate anchor. The anchor may be coupled to the wallthrough an anchor connection unit 802 and may be provided on the rearsurface of the rear panel 800 for stable engagement. That is, theplurality of anchors may mount the rear panel 800 on the wall. In thiscase, since the tub 700 and the rear panel 800 are integrally provided,a separate damper or an elastic member for supporting the tub 700 is notrequired. Consequently, the number of parts may be reduced, and the sizeof the washing machine 10 may be likewise reduced.

The cabinet 100 may be coupled to the front surface of the rear panel800 where the tub 700 is provided to enclose the tub 700. In this case,a cabinet fixing unit 804 may be provided to have a stepped shape alongthe periphery of the rear panel 800, and the cabinet 100 may be fixed tothe cabinet fixing unit 804. For this purpose, a fastening member suchas a bolt may be used.

Also, the rear panel 800 may include a control unit 810 for controllingthe overall functions of the wall mounted washing machine 10 and a drainunit 820 for discharging the wash water filled in the tub 700.

The control unit 810 may be provided on the front surface of the rearpanel 800 to control various components of the wall mounted washingmachine 10 depending on a user's operation to perform laundry washing.In this embodiment, while the control unit 810 is shown on the rightside of the respect to tub 700, the position of the control unit 810 isnot limited thereto.

A power supply line 904 may be connected to the external power source tosupply power to the electric equipment, the control unit 810, thedriving motor 910, and the like described above. The power supply line904 may extend through the rear panel 800 to the front of the rear panel800 and may extend outwardly from the rear of the rear panel 800. Inthis case, the power supply line 904 may be fixed to the rear surface ofthe rear panel 800 through a separate fixing means. As the power supplyline 904 is provided extending outwardly from the rear surface of therear panel 800, the washing machine 10 may have a finished or pleasingappearance.

The drain unit 820 may be provided under the rear panel 800. The drainunit 820 may discharge any wash water inside the tub 700 to the outsideand may be disposed on the lower surface of the front surface of therear panel 800. In this case, the drain unit 820 may include a drainpump for pressurizing the wash water and may be connected to the drainhose 902 to discharge the wash water. Specifically, the drain hose 902is connected to the drain unit 820 and extends outward along the rearsurface of the rear panel 800, so that the wash water may flow throughthe pressure of the drain unit 820. Thus, when the drain unit 820 isoperated after the washing cycle is completed, the wash water may bedischarged to the outside of the cabinet 100 through the drain hose 902under the pressure change of the drain unit 820.

Meanwhile, the rear panel 800 may include a driving motor 910 fortransmitting a driving force to the rear panel 800, a first pulley 912and a second pulley 914 connected to the driving motor 910, a drumrotational shaft 916 connected to the second pulley 914 to rotate thedrum 600, and a belt 918 that connects the first pulley 912 and thesecond pulley 914.

Specifically, the driving motor 910 may be provided on the front surfaceof the rear panel 800. The driving motor 910 may be controlled by thecontrol unit 810 and may be provided on one side of the control unit 810and the drain unit 820.

Also, the driving motor 910 may be connected to the first pulley 912. Inthis case, the shaft (not shown) of the driving motor 910 may beprovided through the rear panel 800 and may be connected with a shaft(not shown) of the driving motor 910 to the first pulley 912 at the rearsurface of the rear panel 800.

The first pulley 912 may be connected to the second pulley 914 via abelt 918. The second pulley 914 may be provided to surround the drumrotation shaft 916 connected to the spider 680 and the drum rotationaxis 916 may penetrate the rear panel 800 while being connected to thespider 680. That is, the second pulley 914 and the drum rotation shaft916 may be connected to each other at the rear surface of the rear panel800.

In summary, when the wash water is filled in the tub 700 through thefitting 440, the control unit 810 may operate the driving motor 910.Subsequently, the first pulley 912 connected to the driving motor 910may be rotated, and the second pulley 914 may be then rotated by therotation of the first pulley 912. Thus, the drum rotation shaft 916connected to the second pulley 914 may also rotate so that the drum 600may be rotated inside the cabinet 100 and the tub 700. Consequently, thelaundry inside the drum 600 may be washed.

On the other hand, the rear panel 800 may further include an exhaustline 920. The exhaust line 920 may be connected to the drain unit 820and may exhaust air inside the tub 700 and the drain unit 820.Specifically, the exhaust line 920 may be connected to the drain hose902 and pass through the rear panel 800, through which it may extend tothe rear surface of the rear panel 800 and be exhausted to the outside.

The wall-mounted washing machine 10 according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may be used as follows.

First, the user may open the door 200, and may load the laundry insidethe drum 600 and unload the detergent container 500 from the front panel400. In this case, the detergent container 500 is divided in the center,so that a space for loading detergent and conditioner, respectively, maybe provided.

After inserting the detergent container 500 loaded with the detergentand conditioner back into the front panel 400, the user may close thedoor 200 and control the laundry operation via the power button 102 andthe display 202. When the washing cycle is started, the wash waterprovided from an external water supplying source through the watersupply valve assembly 480 may be supplied to the detergent container 500through the fitting 440, and the wash water may be supplied into thedrum 600 and tub 700 after passing the detergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506. That is, the wash water filled in the drum600 and the tub 700 may optionally include detergent and conditioner.

When the tub 700 is fully filed with the wash water, the control unit810 may drive the driving motor 910. In this case, the driving motor 910may be connected to the first pulley 912 and the second pulley 914, andthe second pulley 914 may be connected to the drum 600 through the drumrotation shaft 916. Thus, the drum 600 may be rotated through thedriving motor 910. Consequently, the laundry loaded in the drum 600 maybe easily washed by the rotation of the drum 600.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the washing machine of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is across-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is anexploded perspective view of the front panel to which the cover of FIG.4 is attached, FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken alongthe line VII-VII of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectionalview of the circle M of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, the front panel 400 may include a shield unit410 with a plurality of fastening protrusions 411 used for bolting andare spaced apart along the circumference and attached to the edge of thetub 700.

Here, the opening 460 is integrally formed with the inner edge of theshield unit 410.

The opening 460 may be an annular wall structure vertically extendingfrom the surface of the shield unit 410. For example, the opening 460may have a stepped cross-section along an annular wall, caused by adifference in the diameters.

More specifically, the opening 460 includes an annular wall 461extending toward the cover 300 from the inner edge of the shield unit410 and an annular end 462 formed at the edge of the annular wall 461,smaller in diameter than the annular wall 461.

The annular end 462 may refer to a stepped portion formed at the edge ofthe annular wall 461.

Referring to FIG. 7, a plurality of juts 463 are formed on the annularend 462.

The plurality of juts 463 may be spaced apart along the circumference ofthe annular end 462.

Each jut 463 may extend in the circumferential direction from the outerperipheral surface of the annular end 462 and protrude toward the radiusdirection of the annular end 462 to prevent the door gasket 450 frombeing released.

The annular end 462 of the opening 460 may serve as the base of supportfor the door gasket 450. For instance, the door gasket 450 is supportedon the annular end 462 to exert a bending force (to be described later)on the door glass 280 of the door 200 or on an inclined surface 281 ofthe door glass 280.

The door gasket 450 may be a ring-shaped elastic structure that extendsin the circumferential direction, corresponding to the shape of theopening 460.

When the door is closed, the door gasket 450 serves to generate abending force as it is bent in its elastic range while making contactwith the door glass 280 of the door 200.

The door gasket 450 may be made from an elastic material, rubbermaterial, or silicon material. For instance, the door gasket 450 may bemade from a material selected from polymer compounds or copolymers,including fluoroelastomers, epichlorohydrin polymer, EPM (ethylenepropylene monomer), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), IIR(isobutylene isoprene rubber), and HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile butadienerubber), etc.

Referring to FIG. 2, the door 200 is open. When the door 200 is open,the door 200 is swung out on the door hinge 360, away from the cabinet100. In this case, the door hanging unit 260 is detached and releasedfrom the door lock unit 330. Also, the end of the door opening unit 250protrudes out by the elastic force of a spring inside the door openingunit 250.

In this instance, an elastic protrusion 455 a of the door gasket 450indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 9 may not be in contact with the doorglass 280. For instance, the elastic protrusion 455 a may be slopedtoward the door 200 without elastic deformation, as shown in FIG. 9.

On the other hand, referring to FIG. 1, the door 200 is closed. When thedoor 200 is closed, the door 200 is swung back on the door hinge 360into the cabinet 100. In this case, the door hanging unit 260 isfastened and locked to the door lock unit 330. Also, the end of the dooropening unit 250 is retracted toward the inner space of the door innerframe 230 as it compresses the spring after making contact with thebottom surface of the groove provided on one side of the cover 300.

In this instance, the elastic protrusion 455 of the door gasket 450indicated by a solid line in FIG. 9 may be elastically deformed as it isbent toward the drum 600 while making contact with the door glass 280.In this instance, the elastic protrusion 455 has a bending force withinthe elastic deformation range.

Again, as explained above, the user may open the door 200 by pressingthe door opening button 210 using an electronic opening and closingsystem.

That is, when in a locked state, the door hanging unit 260 is releasedform the door lock unit 300. In this case, the door opening unit 250exerts the elastic force of the compressed spring on the bottom surfaceof the groove provided on one side of the cover 300. As a result, thedoor opening unit 250 moves forward out of the door inner frame 230,exerting a reactive force that causes the door 200 to swing.

Along with this, the elastic protrusion 455 of the door gasket 450exerts a bending force on the door glass 280 in the same direction asthe swinging of the door 200 to cause it to move to where the elasticprotrusion 455 a is positioned as indicated by a dotted line, therebyallowing the door 20 to be quickly opened.

That is, the door 200 has a characteristic that allows for smooth andquick opening of the door 200 by using both the elastic force of thespring inside the door opening unit 250 and the bending force of theelastic protrusion 455 of the door gasket 450.

Since the door 200 is a rotatable heavy object, the force required toautomatically or semi-automatically open the door 200 may originate fromnot only from the door opening unit 250 but also from the elasticprotrusion 455 of the door gasket 450. As such, the elastic protrusion455 and 455 a may serve as a membrane spring of elastic materialextending along the circumference of the door gasket 450.

Meanwhile, in order for the elastic protrusion 455 and 455 a to serve asa membrane spring, the inclined surface 281 of the door glass 280 has agreater slope angle compared to that of the prior art drum type washingmachines.

As a comparative example, the inclined surface (not shown) of the doorglass of a prior art drum-type washing machine has a slope angle ofapproximately 30 degrees, whereas the inclined surface 281 of the doorglass 280 in this embodiment of the present disclosure has an anglesomewhat between 40 degrees and 50 degrees. Preferably, the inclinedsurface 281, if optimized, may have an angle of 45 degrees, in oneembodiment.

If the angle of the inclined surface 281 of the door glass 280 is lessthan 40 degrees, the efficiency of transmitting a bending force to thedoor glass 280 may be significantly reduced. If greater than 50 degreesin inclined angle, the watertightness may be significantly lowered.Accordingly, the angle of the inclined surface 281 may have a criticalsignificance.

Also, in order to exert the bending force of the elastic protrusion 455and 455 a more efficiently on the inclined surface 281 of the door glass280, the door gasket 450 is integrally formed with a connection pointlocated between the elastic protrusion 455 and 455 a and the gasket body451, and may further include a waist portion 455 b which is thinner thanthe elastic protrusion 455 and 455 a.

The waist portion 455 b may act as a pivot on which the elasticprotrusion 455 and 455 a (of the door gasket 450 above the waist portion455 a) can rotate easily.

Subsequently, referring to FIG. 9, the inner peripheral surface 462 a ofthe annular end 462 may extend parallel to the center line of the wallmounted washing machine, to attach to the door gasket 450.

Moreover, the opening 460 includes a stepped portion 464 positionedbetween the annular end 462 and the annular wall 461. Here, as shown inFIG. 9, the stepped portion 464 supports the door gasket 450 and alsoforms a stepped surface by connecting the annular end 462 and theannular wall 461 together. To this end, the stepped portion 464 isintegrally formed with the opening 460.

The annular wall 461 extends to slope downward relative to the innerperipheral surface 462 a of the annular end 462, within the area fromthe stepped portion 464 to the shield unit 410. That is, the annularwall 461 may have a predetermined slope angle B to improve drainageperformance.

The door gasket 450 may be disposed between the cover 300 and the frontpanel 400 and requires stable mountability to maintain a watertight sealby making contact with the door 200, and may be configured to avoidinterference with reinforcing ribs of various shapes formed on the frontpanel 400.

The door gasket 450 may be primarily fixed by a ring clamp 470. Here,the ring clamp 470 surrounds the outer portion of the door gasket 450and tightly secures the door gasket 450 to the opening 460 of the frontpanel 400.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the ring clamp 470 includes anelastic wire 471 that has a cross-section and ring shape correspondingto a receiving portion 453 formed on the door gasket 450. The ring clamp470 may include a loop 472 formed integrally with the ends of theelastic wire 471 and a bolt and nut assembly 473 fitted to the loop 472.Here, if the bolt and nut 473 are tightened with a tool, thecircumferential length of the elastic wire 471 is reduced, thus tightlysecuring the door gasket 450 to the annular end 462 of the opening 460of the front panel 400.

Along with this, since part (e.g., gasket fixing portion 452) of thedoor gasket 450 is positioned between the cover 300 and the annular end462 of the front panel 400, secondary fixing may be done as the cover300 and the front panel 400 are coupled together. Such secondary fixingallows for better installation of the door gasket 450. Here, thedirection of primary fixing and the direction of secondary fixingintersect, and therefore the door gasket 450 can be fixed in place moresecurely.

That is, the opening 460 may be manufactured in such a way that thefollowing are integrated as whole, e.g., by plastic injectionmolding: 1) the annular wall 461 extending toward the cover 300 from theinner edge of the shield unit 410; 2) the annular end 462 formed at theedge of the annular wall 461, smaller in diameter than the annular wall461; and 3) the stepped portion 463 connecting the annular end 462 andthe annular wall 461 together to support the door gasket 450.

As shown in FIG. 8, the door gasket 450 may include a gasket body 451, agasket fixing portion 452, a receiving portion 453, a front protrusion454, and an elastic protrusion 455. The gasket body 451 may be disposedinside the opening 460, and its shape may be bent to correspond to theinternal shape of the opening 460 of the front panel 400. That is, thegasket body 451 is sloped for fluid drainage, corresponding to the shapeof the annular wall 461 of the opening 460. For instance, the gasketbody 451 may have the same slope angle B as the annular wall 461.

The gasket fixing portion 452 may be integrally formed with the gasketbody 451, and may be located on the outside of the opening 460 tosurround the edge of the opening 460 of the front panel 400. The gasketfixing portion 452 is shorter in length than the gasket body 451 withrespect to the center line of the wall mounted washing machine. Thereceiving portion 453 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of thegasket fixing portion 452, and receives the ring clamp 470.

The front protrusion 454 protrudes from the edge of the gasket fixingportion 452 toward the edge of the laundry inlet 302 of the cover 300and extends along the circumference of the door gasket 450. The elasticprotrusion 455 has a wedge-shaped cross-section which becomes narrowertoward the end of the elastic protrusion 455. The elastic protrusion 455protrudes at an angle toward the door 200 between the front protrusion454 and the gasket body 451 and extends along the circumference of thedoor gasket 450.

Particularly, the wall mounted washing machine includes a door 200installed on the cover 300, more specifically, on the door hinge 360 ofthe cover 300. The door 200 opens or closes the laundry inlet 302 of thecover 300. In particular, the door 200 has a door glass 280 bulging outtoward the drum 600.

Notably, the elastic protrusion 455 of the door gasket 450 protrudestoward the door 200, and serves to maintain a watertight seal by makingcontact with the door glass 280.

Also, the shape or slope angle of the elastic protrusion 455 may bedetermined so that it can be tightly secured to the inclined surface 281of the door glass 280.

The gasket fixing portion 452 of the door gasket 450 may make contactwith the annular end 462 which corresponds to the edge of the opening460 and may be supported on the front panel 400. To this end, the gasketfixing portion 452 may include a gasket extension 456 which extends overa length corresponding to the thickness of the annular end 462, from thegasket fixing portion 451 to a connection point between the frontprotrusion 454 and the gasket body 451.

Moreover, the door gasket 450 has a plurality of walls 457 and 458 toprevent foreign material from entering. For instance, the door gasket450 includes a first foreign material prevention wall 457 and a secondforeign material prevention wall 458 which extend along thecircumference and protrude from the inner peripheral surface of thegasket body 451. Here, the first foreign material prevention wall 457and the second foreign material prevention wall 458 may serve as adual-structured means for preventing foreign material in the washingmachine of this embodiment.

The first foreign material prevention wall 457 may have a plurality ofdrain holes 457 a. The drain holes 457 a may be passages through whichwater gathered in a first space S1 of the door gasket 450 passes towarda second space S2 between the first foreign material prevention wall 457and the second foreign material prevention wall 458. The second foreignmaterial prevention wall 458 may have slits 458 a corresponding inposition to the drain holes 457 a. Here, the slits 458 a may refer topassages through which the water exiting the drain holes 457 a passes.

The second foreign material prevention wall 458 extends in thecircumferential direction from the inner peripheral surface of the doorgasket 450. Particularly, the second foreign material prevention wall458 may be formed only on the lower inner peripheral surface of the doorgasket 450.

In the case where the second foreign material prevention wall 458 isformed only on the lower inner peripheral surface of the door gasket450, foreign material prevention can be advantageously maximized whilemanufacturing costs can be reduced by reducing the amount of materialsused to manufacture the door gasket 450, and assembly efficiency can beincreased due to the reduced weight.

The second foreign material prevention wall 458 may be relativelyshorter in height than the first foreign material prevention wall 458,so as not to interfere with the drum inlet portion 610 of the drum 600.

Also, the door gasket 450 may be installed on the annular end 462 andmaintain a gap G1 between the surface of the cover 300 and the gasketextension 456 of the door gasket 450 when the cover 300 and the frontpanel 400 are coupled together. Because of this gap G1, the door gasket450 may be protected from any chemical deformation or damage, and thedoor gasket 450 may have no chemical cracks, even with vibrationscreated by the wall mounted washing machine during operation.

Moreover, the upper part of the gap G1 is covered by the frontprotrusion 454.

Accordingly, while wet laundry is being loaded into the washing machineor while the inside of the washing machine is being cleaned with water,water flowing in the height direction (e.g., vertical direction) of thewashing machine first touches the front protrusion 454 of the doorgasket 450, and this may lower the pressure of the flowing water.

Due to this, very little of the falling water may enter the gap G1. Thatis, in this embodiment, a degree of watertightness can be achieved thatis good enough for daily usage of the machine. That is, although a waterfilm or a small amount of moisture may enter the gap G1, the amount willbe very small, if any.

More specifically, the gap G1 in the door gasket 450 may extend to aspace between the surface of the cover 300 and the gasket fixing portion452 of the door gasket 450. Moreover, the gap G1 in the door gasket 450may further extend to a space between the surface of the cover 300 andthe bottom surface of the front protrusion 454 of the door gasket 450.

Also, the gap G1 may extend along the circumference of the door gasket450.

The gap G1, if defined as the linear distance from the surface of thecover 300 to the door gasket 450 separated from it, may be anywherebetween 0.01 mm and 0.3 mm. For example, there will be no chemicalcracks when the gap G1 is 0.2 mm, chemical cracks will occur at a higherrate when the gap G1 is less than 0.2 mm, and there will be very fewchemical cracks caused by friction with plastic material but the amountof moisture penetration may increase rapidly when the gap G1 is morethan 0.2 mm. Accordingly, the gap G1 may have a critical significancewhen it is 0.2 mm.

Referring to FIG. 9, when the door gasket 450 is attached to the annularend 462 of the opening 460 of the front panel 400, the edge of the firstforeign material prevention wall 457 and the inner peripheral surface ofthe drum inlet portion 610 may be at the same level L.

Since the first foreign material prevention wall 457 and the drum inletportion 610 are at the same level L, laundry may be easily loaded intothe drum 600.

The first foreign material prevention wall 457 and the second foreignmaterial prevention wall 458 are spaced apart from each other along adirection from the door gasket 450 toward the drum 600.

Moreover, when the user loads laundry into the drum 600, foreignmaterial separated from the laundry may be dropped into the first spaceS1 in front of the first foreign material prevention wall 457 or thesecond space S2 between the first foreign material prevention wall 457and the second foreign material prevention wall 458. Because themovement of foreign material dropped into these spaces S1 and S2 may berestrained by the first foreign material prevention wall 457 or thesecond foreign material prevention wall 458, the entrance of foreignmaterial into the gap G2 between the outer peripheral surface of thedrum inlet portion 610 and the outer surface of the door gasket 450 maybe relatively minimized.

In addition, the edge of the drum inlet portion 610 may be bent to forman outbound caulking portion 611. The outbound caulking portion 611 isdisposed in the second space S2 between the first foreign materialprevention wall 457 and the second foreign material prevention wall 458.

Thus, the second space S2 may be a space like a U-shaped trap whichmakes the flow of foreign material difficult, thus allowing for betterprevention of foreign material.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a door gasket according to anexemplary application of the present disclosure, and FIG. 11 is across-sectional view of a door gasket according to another exemplaryapplication of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10 or 11, a door gasket 450 a according to anexemplary application may have a bead portion 459 protruding from theouter surface of the door gasket 450 a to make contact with the innerperipheral surface of the laundry inlet 302 of the cover 300.

Here, the bead portion 459 serves to close the above-explained gap G1between the surface of the cover 300 and the door gasket 450. Forinstance, the door gasket 450 a is configured such that the cover 300 isattached to the front panel 400 and the door gasket 450 a makes contactwith the surface of the cover 300.

Moreover, the cover 300 and the front panel 400 may be coupled togetherby fastening means such as bolts for connecting the cover 300 and thefront panel 400. For example, when the bolts are loosened, the cover 300and the front panel 400 may be separated from each other.

The bead portion 459 is an element of the door gasket 450 a that makescontact with the surface of the cover 300. The edge of the bead portion459 makes linear contact with the inner peripheral surface of thelaundry inlet 302 of the cover 300. Here, the term “linear contact” maymean that the edge of the bead portion 459 is in the shape of a lineextending in the circumferential direction and contact is made betweenthe line and the surface of the cover, e.g., the inner peripheralsurface of the laundry inlet 302.

Accordingly, even if the edge of the bead portion 459 is partiallydamaged due to linear contact, the structural strength of the rest ofthe door gasket 450 a may be maintained for a relatively long time.

That is, the bead portion 459 is a portion that can be sacrificed toextend the product lifetime of the door gasket 450 a, which may serve asa means for maintaining the structural safety of the entire door gasket450 a. To this end, the bead portion 459 of the door gasket 450 a may beformed integrally with the surface of the gasket fixing portion 452 onthe side of the gasket fixing portion 452 facing the cover 300, at theposition where it is separated from the front protrusion 454 in adownward direction.

Meanwhile, a bead portion 459 a of a door gasket 450 b according toanother application example shown in FIG. 11 may be formed integrallywith the surface of the gasket extension 456 on the side of the gasketextension 456 facing the cover 300, at the position where it isseparated from the front protrusion 454 in a downward direction.

The protruding length of the bead portion 459 and 459 a of the doorgasket 450 a and 450 b may serve to maintain a space between the cover300 and the door gasket 450 a and 450 b.

Moreover, the bead portion 459 and 459 a extends along the circumferenceof the door gasket 450.

In addition, the protruding length of the bead portion 459 and 459 a maybe shorter than the front protrusion 454.

Furthermore, one bead portion 459 and 459 a may be provided as shown inFIG. 10, or a plurality of bead portions 459 and 459 a may be providedas shown in FIG. 11.

The above descriptions are merely illustrative of the technical scope ofthe present disclosure and various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the essential characteristics of the presentdisclosure. Therefore, the embodiments described in the presentdisclosure are not intended to limit the scope of the presentdisclosure, but are intended to illustrate the scope of the presentdisclosure. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should beconstrued according to the following claims, and all technical ideaswhich are equivalent or equivalent thereto should be interpreted asbeing included in the scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wall mounted washing machine, comprising: arear panel operable to be wall-mounted; a tub supported on the rearpanel, wherein the tub is operable to contain wash water; a front panelhaving an opening formed therein and disposed in the tub; a drumrotatably installed in the tub; a cover disposed on the front panel tocover the front panel; a door rotatably coupled to the cover toselectively open and close a laundry inlet of the cover; and a doorgasket disposed between the cover and the front panel, wherein the doorgasket is operable to maintain a watertight seal by making contact withthe door, and forming a gap between a surface of the cover and a gasketextension with respect to the laundry inlet.
 2. The wall mounted washingmachine of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises: a shield unitcomprising a plurality of fastening protrusions for bolting wherein theplurality of fastening protrusions are spaced apart along acircumference and attached to an edge of the tub; and an openingintegrally formed with an inner edge of the shield unit.
 3. The wallmounted washing machine of claim 2, wherein the opening of the frontpanel comprises: an annular wall extending toward the cover from theinner edge of the shield unit; an annular end formed at an edge of theannular wall, wherein the annual end is smaller in diameter than theannular wall; and juts extending in a circumferential direction from anouter peripheral surface of the annular end and protruding toward adiameter direction of the annular end, wherein said juts are operable toprevent the door gasket from releasing.
 4. The wall mounted washingmachine of claim 3, further comprising a center line and wherein aninner peripheral surface of the annular end of the opening extendsparallel to the center line and is attached to the door gasket.
 5. Thewall mounted washing machine of claim 4, wherein the opening of thefront panel further comprises a stepped portion positioned between theannular end and the annular wall and integrally formed with the openingto support the door gasket.
 6. The wall mounted washing machine of claim5, wherein the annular wall extends and slopes downward relative to theinner peripheral surface of the annular end, within an area defined fromthe stepped portion to the shield unit.
 7. A wall mounted washingmachine, comprising: a rear panel operable to be mounted on a wall; atub supported on the rear panel, the tub operable to contain wash water;a front panel having an opening formed therein and disposed in the tub;a drum rotatably installed in the tub; a cover operable to cover thefront panel and comprising an inlet; a door rotatably coupled to thecover to selectively open and close the inlet; a door gasket disposedbetween the cover and the front panel and operable to maintain awatertight seal in making contact with the door; and a ring clampsurrounding an outer portion of the door gasket and securing the doorgasket to the opening of the front panel.
 8. The wall mounted washingmachine of claim 7, wherein the front panel comprises a shield unitcomprising a plurality of fastening protrusions for bolting and whereinfurther the opening of the front panel comprises: an annular wallextending toward the cover from an inner edge of the shield unit; anannular end formed at the edge of the annular wall, wherein the annularend is smaller in diameter than the annular wall; and a stepped portionconnecting the annular end and the annular wall together to support thedoor gasket.
 9. The wall mounted washing machine of claim 8, wherein thedoor gasket is a ring-shaped elastic structure, extending in acircumferential direction, and having a shape corresponding to the shapeof the opening.
 10. The wall mounted washing machine of claim 9, whereinthe door gasket comprises one of: an elastic material; a rubbermaterial; and a silicon material.
 11. The wall mounted washing machineof claim 8, wherein the door gasket comprises: a gasket body disposedinside the opening; a gasket fixing portion integrally formed with thegasket body and located on an outside of the opening and surrounding theedge of the opening of the front panel; a receiving portion formed on anouter peripheral surface of the gasket fixing portion and for receivingthe ring clamp; a front protrusion protruding from and edge of thegasket fixing portion toward the edge of the inlet of the cover andextending along a circumference of the door gasket; and an elasticprotrusion protruding at an angle toward the door between the frontprotrusion and the gasket body and extending along a circumference ofthe door gasket.
 12. In a wall mounted washing machine having: a tubformed on a rear panel operable for wall mounting; a drum rotatablyinstalled in the tub; a front panel installed in the tub and having anopening formed therein; a cover installed on the front panel to coverthe front panel; and a door installed on the cover, selectively openingand closing a laundry inlet of the cover, and having a door glassbulging out toward the drum, a component comprising: a door gasket,wherein the door gasket is disposed inside the wall mounted washingmachine and is operable to maintain a watertight seal by making contactwith the door.
 13. The component of claim 12, wherein the door gasketcomprises: a gasket body disposed inside the opening; a gasket fixingportion integrally formed with the gasket body and located on an outsideof the opening and surrounding an edge of the opening of the frontpanel; a receiving portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of thegasket fixing portion and for receiving a ring clamp; a front protrusionprotruding from an edge of the gasket fixing portion toward an edge ofthe laundry inlet of the cover and extending along a circumference ofthe door gasket; and an elastic protrusion protruding at an angle towardthe door between the front protrusion and the gasket body and extendingalong the circumference of the door gasket; and wherein the gasket bodyis sloped for fluid drainage, having a shape corresponding to a shape ofan annular wall of the opening.
 14. The component of claim 13, whereinthe gasket fixing portion of the door gasket comprises a gasketextension which extends over a length corresponding to a thickness of anannular end of the front panel, from the gasket fixing portion to aconnection point between the front protrusion and the gasket body,wherein the gasket extension makes contact with the annular end whichcorresponds to an edge of the opening.
 15. The component of claim 14,wherein the door gasket is installed on the annular end and maintains agap between a surface of the cover and the gasket extension of the doorgasket when the cover and the front panel are coupled together.
 16. Thecomponent of claim 15, wherein the gap in the door gasket extends to aspace defined between the surface of the cover and the gasket fixingportion of the door gasket.
 17. The component of claim 16, wherein thegap in the door gasket further extends to a space between the surface ofthe cover and a bottom surface of the front protrusion of the doorgasket.
 18. The component of claim 17, wherein the gap extends along thecircumference of the door gasket.
 19. The component of claim 17, whereinthe gap, defined as a linear distance from the surface of the cover tothe door gasket separated therefrom, is between 0.01 mm and 0.3 mm.